


Nightshade

by Oryx_Gazella



Category: Don't Hug Me I'm Scared (Short Film)
Genre: DHMIS, F/M, Padlock, back to being mean
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-06
Updated: 2014-02-06
Packaged: 2018-01-11 08:56:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,864
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1171159
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Oryx_Gazella/pseuds/Oryx_Gazella
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Plans go wrong, and weapons can't pick sides.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Nightshade

**Author's Note:**

> HAHA UM  
> THIS IS WAY TOO LONG AND ITS NOT CUTE ANYMORE  
> SORRY  
> FANFICTION MORE LIKE HERE ARE ALL MY HEADCANONS LOOK AT THEM  
> ALSO IM SORRY AO3 SCREWED UP ALL THE INDENTS IT BOTHERS ME TOO

Poison fascinated her.  It was versatile and efficient, not to mention so readily available.  Poison and plants went hand-in-hand, and Paige found herself to be fairly adept at gardening. 

The garden outside, once populated mostly by weeds, now writhed with deadly, beautiful flora; Nightshade, Hemlock, Doll’s Eyes, and Foxglove, to name just a few.  Paige cherished the plants, and regularly took cuttings to experiment with.  Flowers that bloomed in every color induced convulsions, berries that fruited with bright patterns caused suffocation, and even leaves, despite their _unattractive_ color, could produce heart failure in minutes.

Tony tried to put a stop to it once, after having been killed with a dose of larkspur.  Confident that it was his turn to start a fight, he went out into the yard and warped time around the patch of foliage.  The plants all grew, bloomed, died, and rotted in seconds.  Paige discovered what he had done not too long afterwards, and the results weren’t exactly...positive.  Not caring whose _turn_ it was, she flew into a rage at the loss of the plants, and caught Tony off guard.  She gouged his eyes out with a pallet knife, bashed his head off the wall, shoved his face into a water-filled sink, and dropped a hair dryer in.  He woke up later, buried six feet under the garden he had ruined hours before. 

Tony let Paige have her plants after that.

Since they had finally grown back, Paige was busying herself with extracting and concentrating the poison hidden inside their various parts.  Little bottles of hyacinth blub cuttings and wolfsbane sat next to dried basil and garlic powder in the kitchen cabinets.  Paige used shared kitchenware for all of her preparations and experiments, much to Tony’s aggravation.  Everything had to be washed at least three times after she got done with it, least he risk exposure to any residual toxin. 

Both of them cooked, though their styles were distinctly separate.  Tony adhered to recipes to the letter, and Paige constantly complained that his cooking was boring and uncreative.  Paige, in contrast, took recipes as ‘suggestions’.  Half the time the results were great, the other half…well, the best case would be ‘disgusting’.  The worst case would be something that should’ve set the fire alarms off, had she not broken them all in an attempt to set Tony’s bed on fire with him in it (which hadn’t even worked; he woke up before the bed could catch and quickly strangled her to death).

The other issue with Paige’s cooking lied in her affinity for poison and the search for test subjects; every so often she’d slip something into the food, if not to kill then just to see what would happen.  Tony fell for it _once_ , and thereafter had their three… _roommates_ test anything she made. 

Right now, however, nothing Paige was doing could be mistaken for innocent.  Tony was on the hunt, and she wanted to be prepared.  A rainbow of toxic flowers were scattered around the counter in various stages of disassembly.  With a sharp knife Paige minced the blooms into a fine paste.  She’d blend the potent mixture into ink and paint, slathering it onto pens and pencils to surprise Tony with more than just a stab wound. 

She heard Tony’s footsteps enter the kitchen behind her, not bothering to turn around to greet him.  A quiet metallic clicking sound told her that he’d brought his sword this time; whether he was planning on using it here and now was up for debate.  Tony approached her from the side, and she held the knife a little more securely, something he took notice to as he reached for a mug from the cabinet. 

Tony stepped away from her, smiling slightly at her bristling, and started to meticulously rewash the cup before putting anything in it. 

“And why do you think I’d try that twice?”  Paige asked, continuing to chop up the petals and stems.

“Forgetfulness, foolishness, reverse psychology; any of those are applicable.”  He replied as he waited for new coffee to brew.

“You’re underestimating me, love.”

“Am I?  _You_ seem to be the one just _waiting_ for me to decapitate you, my dear.”  

“So why haven’t-“

Paige froze, staring down.  There was blood on the cutting board.  Her mind raced.  Where did it come from?  Was it hers?  Her eyes widened and her breath caught, staring at the slice across her index finger, deep and dripping.  When did this happen?  The knife was so sharp she hadn’t even felt it.  How much had she touched?  Fuck that goddamn clock for distracting her, putting her concentration into her ears instead of her hands.  What had she even been working with?  What were the symptoms?  Paige stared at the bright mess of shredded petals smeared with blood. 

“Hm?”  Tony inclined, turning towards her.

Paige broke out of it.  She had to compose herself; if he knew she had…

“I said ‘why haven’t you?’  Losing your hearing, Tony?”

“Oh.”  His attention moved back to his drink.  Good.  “Because where’s the fun in that?”

“Since when were you concerned with _fun_?”  Paige started to scoop the poisonous mixture into a small vial, trying to steady her shaking hands.

Tony moved to the table and sat down, tilting back to balance on the chair’s back legs.  “Would you _like_ me to run you through with my sword right now?  If you’re that eager I can get it done before my coffee gets cold.”

Paige laughed.  “I’d love to see you try” she bluffed, getting hit with a burst of vertigo and anchoring her hands on the counter to keep from swaying.  She kept her back to him; if he saw her face he might see the growing fear in her eyes.  She had to get out of here.

She heard him chuckle and say something; her ears were ringing.  It didn’t sound like a question.  She didn’t reply, hoping that ‘ignore him’ would be a convincing response.

Silence hung between them as Paige cleaned off the counter, slipping the bottle into a hidden pocket sewn into her dress.  Those plans were already at the back of her mind; right now she had to get upstairs and sleep this off without Tony knowing how weakened she was.  Her heartbeat wouldn’t stabilize, alternating between racing and slow, resonating pounding.

Paige sighed.  “Have I told you recently how _unbearably boring_ you are?”  Bright flashes of light were beginning to intrude on whatever she was looking at.

“Not today, no.”

She looked over her shoulder at what she hoped was Tony “Well it’s miserable.  Just being around you right now is killing my inspiration.  So if you’re not here to fight me, then I’m leaving.”

“By all means, don’t let me keep you” He purred. 

Paige didn’t like how he spoke; did he know?  Was he just being his usual, arrogant self?  She couldn’t concentrate.

She strolled out of the kitchen, aware of his gaze following her but refusing to meet his eyes.  The second she was out of his sight, her hand flew to the wall for support.  Her head was spinning, and she could barely keep her eyes open.  Paige tried to even out her breathing; her blood would work the poison out if she gave it enough time.

“Paige dear.” 

_Fuck_

“Yes?”  she called back, her cheery voice in stark contrast to her actual condition; leaning against the wall, eyes closed, trembling slightly.

“You’ve left the counter a mess, you know.  There are flowers everywhere.”

“Hmm, I don’t think I have the _time_ to clean it up right now.  It’ll have to wait.”  Mocking him was good.  She’d mock him if she were feeling normal. 

Paige started to make her way to her room.  Just get up the stairs, second door down the hall, lock herself in, and then she could collapse and sleep this off.  The stairs seemed to stretch out; were there always this many?  Were these the right stairs?  Of course they were, they were the only flight in the house.  Had she gotten into another house by accident? 

The stairs ended unexpectedly, Paige’s foot trying to reach another step, causing her to trip.  When she staggered back to standing, the hallway looked unfamiliar and _wrong_.  Things seemed to bounce around in their places, colors shifted when she wasn’t directly looking at them, and when she blinked, her eyes fluttered closed for a little bit too long.

            Paige stumbled into her bedroom, closing the door probably a bit too forcefully.  She fumbled around with the lock until it turned securely.  She made her shaky way to her bed, grabbing an expertly sharpened pencil from her desk as she passed by.  Paige flopped facedown on the bed, groaning quietly and rolling to her side.  She looked at the door, eyes unfocused and ready to pass out.

            The doorknob rattled.

            Paige’s heart jumped, but she was too tired to move.  It was fine, the door was locked; that bastard would be too _proper_ to break it down.  She should call out, taunt him, make him think she expected this and was prepared.  She couldn’t.  There was a clicking noise.

            Paige saw the lock turn, the doorknob following.  Tony stepped into the room, that fucking confident smirk on his face.  She wanted to tear it off.

            He calmly strolled to her bed, kneeling down to get his face level with hers.  He leaned against the bedside.  Paige felt his hand on hers, the one she loosely held the pencil in.  He slipped the weapon out of her hand without resistance, setting it with a quiet tap on her nightstand. 

 _No_ , she thought hazily _I wanted to gouge his eyes out with that._

Paige watched, eyes half-lidded, as he reached out and started to gently play with a lock of her hair.

            “I’m afraid you’re a terrible actress, sweetheart.”  He leaned forward and softly kissed her.

            He stood.  “Come along then.”  

            “N…no you…bh-…”  She trailed off, unable to remember what she wanted to say.

            Paige felt arms under her, lifting her limp body off the bed.  Tony hauled her over his shoulder, one arm hooked around the back of her knees.  He started moving out of her room, but Paige didn’t make it through the doorframe before passing out.

           

* * *

 

            Paige woke up, awareness quickly flooding back.  The poison had worn off, but she wished it hadn’t.  She was curled up on the floor, hands zip-tied together at the wrist.  She lifted her head off the carpet to look around, but really, she already knew where she was.

            “Ah, you’re up.”  That loathsome voice came from above her.

            “I’m surprised you waited for me to wake up.”  She sneered, internally fearful.  She expected either the poison to get her or for Tony to kill her while she was out.  She would’ve woken up somewhere awful, but at least she’d miss actually dying.

            Tony smiled.  “It’s worth the time, dear.”        

            Paige glared at her bound wrists.  

            “Wow Tony, waiting for me to pass out, taking me back to your room, and tying me up?  If I didn’t kill so often, would you even figure out how to venture outside ‘stab something until it stops moving’?”  She said, sarcasm dripping from each word.    

            “Hmm.  You’re right.”

            “What did you just say?” 

            “You’re right.  This isn’t very creative at all.” 

            Paige barked with laughter.  “I must still be hallucinating.”

            She heard him walk around her.  “It’s true.  You’re right.  I’m just so terrible at coming up with anything.  So…”  The point of his sword tapped to the floor an inch from her face.  He leaned down, his head sideways, staring at her with a grin.  “Why don’t you come up with something for me?”

            Paige blinked, confused.

            “What?”

            “Describe how I should kill you, as _creatively_ as you can.”

            “You want _me_ to come up with _my own death_?”  Paige started to giggle, the sound tinted with nervousness.  “You must be losing it.”

            “I can wait.”  He sat on the edge of his bed, in front of her.

            “You’re gonna be waiting for a while then.” She scoffed.

            Paige watched him, sitting there so motionlessly, his head resting on one hand.  He smiled down at her; _she hated him_.  But it didn’t look like he intended to move.  If he wanted to sit there and waste his precious time until she figured out an escape, he was welcome to.  She moved her wrists to her mouth, and started to bite at the plastic.

            Tony was on her in an instant.  He grabbed her chin and wrenched her head away, forcing her to look at his face.

            “ _If you chew at those ties I will break your jaw_.”  He hissed.

            “Fuck you” she spat back.  She stopped chewing, though; he’d broken her jaw fighting before, it wasn’t something she wanted to repeat.  He let her go and went back to the bed.  She expected him to sit down and wait again, but he slipped his foot between her arms and pulled it back, stretching her out on the floor.

            “What are you doing now?  Too impatient to stick to your own plan?”

            “Mm, no.  Just making giving you some encouragement.”  His sword hovered over her.  He set it gently on the lower left side of her chest.  “Right here should be perfect.”  He tapped the point of the sword.  It started fraying the fabric of her dress.  “Once a minute should be a good start.”

            He pressed down, with the lightest pressure.   The cloth failed, and she felt the cold metal pressing in the space between her ribs. 

            “F-fine.”  _Fuck why did her voice falter._   “Slit my throat then.”

            “That’s not very good.  You’ll have to come up with something better than that.  Tick.”

            The blade pressed down again, and her skin gave way.  Blood welled up under the sword’s point.  It hurt; she knew it was going to get much worse.  Panic started gnawing at her; he wasn’t near any major blood vessels, so that sword could sink right through her body without killing her. 

            Another minute passed, far too quickly, and the sword was pressed few more precise millimeters with a twist.  It was cutting through muscle now, but writhing around would just make it hurt more.

            “Decapitation“ she gasped, trying to breathe as shallowly as possible.

            “Unoriginal.”  the amusement was clear in his voice.

            The sword sunk further, twisting again, shredding its way into her chest; no way a minute passed.  Blood was starting to pool on the floor now; she could feel it on her back.  Paige didn’t especially want to be killed, and certainly not by her own design. 

            Again.  Paige she had to bite back a scream at that one.

            “If you’d like, we can go by seconds.  Would that inspire you?”

            She whimpered, shaking her head.  It was no good; he knew her too well.  He wouldn’t stop until she really came up with something.  She’d have to give him a method she had planned him.

            “C-cut out-…”  she couldn’t finish.

            He stopped twisting the sword, and leaned in.

            “A little louder, dear.”

            “…heart.”  Paige grit her teeth.   More than pain or fear, she was _livid_.

            Tony chuckled, pulling the sword out carelessly.  Paige writhed back, snarling.  She kicked at him as he grabbed her bound wrists and lifted up a corner of his bedframe.  He dragged her backwards and let the leg of the frame fall back between her arms, keeping her stuck there. 

            He didn’t waste any more time; he set the uncleaned blade it to the floor, pulling a smaller dagger from his belt.  As he knelt down, a hand on the middle of Paige’s chest kept her pinned while she struggled to break the ties and kick him off.  A deep, forward-angled cut was slashed under her sternum, spanning across the gap her ribs made. 

            Paige yelled, cursing him with everything he could think of.  Soon she felt a hand _in_ her chest, and her screaming stopped having any resemblance to words.  Her wrists felt like they were going to break from pulling so savagely against the bed and ties.  Soon he was up to his elbow, and the sensation of a hand literally on her heart was _terrifying_.

            He pulled.  She felt a series of snaps.  His hand retreated out of her too-empty chest.   A blurry, shock-muddled view of Tony’s glove, soaked with red blood and black ink holding a jittering lump was Paige’s last sight.

                                             

 

* * *

 

            Paige woke up with a start, her body aching slightly.  She was…in her bed?  He put her in her bed.  Paige looked around, trying to find the catch; some trap, something wrong.  Nothing.

            She cautiously stepped out of her bed, tiptoeing across her room.  She peered out of the doorway, trying to figure out what he _did_.  Paige made her way down the hall, and peeked into Tony’s room, to find him sitting at his desk, huddled over, tinkering with a watch.

            "Don’t expect to wake up so easily again.”  He said, not turning around.

            Wordlessly, she turned and left, accepting his apology and already starting on her revenge.

**Author's Note:**

> i based paige's poisoning symptoms off that one time i lost count of Kraken shots  
> also i figured they wouldnt have typical plant-poison reactions because theyre not human idk  
> tony likes coffee a lot because it lets him get more stuff done faster


End file.
